In its thirty-odd years of existence, the Audi Quattro has been elevated to the upper pantheon of modern automotive greats. But what did people think of it when new?

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Well, the Americans at MotorWeek found that the Quattro wasn't as much of a blistering performer as you'd expect. In terms of dry pavement speed, handling, and braking, the car didn't really stand out.

The bulging fender flares look utterly fantastic today, but back in the early '80s, when nobody knew what a Quattro was, the car just looked like an Audi Coupe. And that thing was a third of the price.

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Certainly the Quattro would have impressed more in the wet, the snow, or on really awful road surfaces, but it's interesting to see how the car wasn't everything it is remembered to be.